Dear Axel: Yes, I agree we have to accept the real world situation specially when things are out of our control or best effort.
What I mean ( sometimes I can't explain me in the precise way ) is that if we want to improve the quality perfomance of what we have we can do it ( right now ) and with out buying new audio items but only reexamine the set-up on each single ( big or tiny ) link in the audio chain, almost always ( when we do that ) we can find " land " to improve even with simple things like cleaning ( time to time ) the input/output connectors ( yes, IMHO these RCA/XLR connectors are a link in the audio chain. ) on the audio system. Anyway what I'm trying to say is that if we want to have better quality performance in our today audio system the best ( not the only ) way to go is try to put at minimum the whole audio system distortions ( any ).
The tonearm/cartridge set-up is a great example where we can put those distortions at minimum if we take care about and if don't here in this single link " things " could goes wrong and against to the " minimum distortion " target and against to be nearer to the recording.
But this is only an exampe and we have to put the same care/know-how in all the audio chain ( even that connectors cleaning exercise permit to lower distortions. ).
+++++ " Making any mistake here, will make it VERY hard - if not impossible - to fix that "bug" ever after. " +++++
well Dertonarm put the " finger where pained " ( IMHO he was a little " cheerful " when he say: very hard to fix after. ): IMHO and I agree with him anything we lost or add in an audio link we lost for ever and there is no way to recovery in the original status and with out adding other distortions/stages.
I posted several times that the free-will " compensation " whole/normal ( even a establisment. ) practice ( audiophiles, dealers, reviewers, etc, ) in audio to achieve a sound reproduction that we like through a selection of audio items to have " synergy " is one and incorrect form to be nearer to the recording ( well this is the target and if your target is different then this words are not for you. ), I say that " compensation " practice put us farest from the recording because trying to fix errors ( distortions ) adding other error/distortions can't IMHO give us the correct one.
We can read in any forum and commercial audio " pro " magazines things like this: " if your system is a little on the bright side then don't use this cartridge ", " if you want a warm sound then use this audio item instead the other ( any ) ".
This kind of attitude preclude ( in some ways ) the opportunity to improve in real manner the quality performance on our audio systems, let me to explain a little about trhough an example:
we buy or borrow a new audio item ( a very well regarded audio item almost a statement product. ) and then we connect/integrate in the audio system and hear it.
Normaly we will hear somethings that we like and somethings that we don't but almost never we try to make changes in the audio system ( everywhere ) to really integrate/set-up the new item where this new item ( statement product ) could really shine/show its overall quality.
We go to what we don't like it with out think that that new audio item quality performance maybe are showing the own audio system " anomalies " that have to fix it.
Then we say: " that product is good but not good enough for my audio system. " with out thinking that that product is a way/tool that can help us.
I remember very clear the Monaco TT review where the reviewer take that incorrect attitude, where he don't go in deep to find how good was that TT ( against the one he own. ) and this I think is an obligation of any reviewer. There are several similar examples.
So we have to reexamine ( the people that whant it. ) what we have with a non-compensation attitude.
IMHO we can't grow-up if we continue with that " compensation " attitude that we take it like false " synergy ".
Speak to try putting distortions at minimum means ( between other things ) try to find neutrality/accuracy elsewhere ( not analytic or cold sound ). I can asure you that when we work in this direction the rewards are enormeous and the music enjoy through our audio systems is so high that you can't imagine till you have it.
Axel the Azymuth subject is a critical one due to our " real world ", not only because the cartridge cantilever many times come off-out of place but the stylus are not perfect centered and at the right angle.
You have to think that all what all the ones that already posted here on the tonearm/cartridge subject " collapse " if we can't make Azymut changes.
IMHO a tonearm that does not permit Azymuth control/changes is an unfinished product, period.
Now, other than put some side-spacers in the headshell what you can do with your SME is to set-up the tonearm main column/rod with a little inclination either side you need: yes, you can do it.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
What I mean ( sometimes I can't explain me in the precise way ) is that if we want to improve the quality perfomance of what we have we can do it ( right now ) and with out buying new audio items but only reexamine the set-up on each single ( big or tiny ) link in the audio chain, almost always ( when we do that ) we can find " land " to improve even with simple things like cleaning ( time to time ) the input/output connectors ( yes, IMHO these RCA/XLR connectors are a link in the audio chain. ) on the audio system. Anyway what I'm trying to say is that if we want to have better quality performance in our today audio system the best ( not the only ) way to go is try to put at minimum the whole audio system distortions ( any ).
The tonearm/cartridge set-up is a great example where we can put those distortions at minimum if we take care about and if don't here in this single link " things " could goes wrong and against to the " minimum distortion " target and against to be nearer to the recording.
But this is only an exampe and we have to put the same care/know-how in all the audio chain ( even that connectors cleaning exercise permit to lower distortions. ).
+++++ " Making any mistake here, will make it VERY hard - if not impossible - to fix that "bug" ever after. " +++++
well Dertonarm put the " finger where pained " ( IMHO he was a little " cheerful " when he say: very hard to fix after. ): IMHO and I agree with him anything we lost or add in an audio link we lost for ever and there is no way to recovery in the original status and with out adding other distortions/stages.
I posted several times that the free-will " compensation " whole/normal ( even a establisment. ) practice ( audiophiles, dealers, reviewers, etc, ) in audio to achieve a sound reproduction that we like through a selection of audio items to have " synergy " is one and incorrect form to be nearer to the recording ( well this is the target and if your target is different then this words are not for you. ), I say that " compensation " practice put us farest from the recording because trying to fix errors ( distortions ) adding other error/distortions can't IMHO give us the correct one.
We can read in any forum and commercial audio " pro " magazines things like this: " if your system is a little on the bright side then don't use this cartridge ", " if you want a warm sound then use this audio item instead the other ( any ) ".
This kind of attitude preclude ( in some ways ) the opportunity to improve in real manner the quality performance on our audio systems, let me to explain a little about trhough an example:
we buy or borrow a new audio item ( a very well regarded audio item almost a statement product. ) and then we connect/integrate in the audio system and hear it.
Normaly we will hear somethings that we like and somethings that we don't but almost never we try to make changes in the audio system ( everywhere ) to really integrate/set-up the new item where this new item ( statement product ) could really shine/show its overall quality.
We go to what we don't like it with out think that that new audio item quality performance maybe are showing the own audio system " anomalies " that have to fix it.
Then we say: " that product is good but not good enough for my audio system. " with out thinking that that product is a way/tool that can help us.
I remember very clear the Monaco TT review where the reviewer take that incorrect attitude, where he don't go in deep to find how good was that TT ( against the one he own. ) and this I think is an obligation of any reviewer. There are several similar examples.
So we have to reexamine ( the people that whant it. ) what we have with a non-compensation attitude.
IMHO we can't grow-up if we continue with that " compensation " attitude that we take it like false " synergy ".
Speak to try putting distortions at minimum means ( between other things ) try to find neutrality/accuracy elsewhere ( not analytic or cold sound ). I can asure you that when we work in this direction the rewards are enormeous and the music enjoy through our audio systems is so high that you can't imagine till you have it.
Axel the Azymuth subject is a critical one due to our " real world ", not only because the cartridge cantilever many times come off-out of place but the stylus are not perfect centered and at the right angle.
You have to think that all what all the ones that already posted here on the tonearm/cartridge subject " collapse " if we can't make Azymut changes.
IMHO a tonearm that does not permit Azymuth control/changes is an unfinished product, period.
Now, other than put some side-spacers in the headshell what you can do with your SME is to set-up the tonearm main column/rod with a little inclination either side you need: yes, you can do it.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.